News

Parentline – Ali’s Story

Thu 13th February 2020

This month we are highlighting our National Charity Partner Children 1^st’s vital Parentline Service, which aims to give a helping hand to families in Scotland when they need it most.

Read Ali’s story below, to hear how support from Parentline helped her family through a tough time.

When Ali’s relationship with her son was breaking down, a Parentline volunteer helped her put things back together.

She said: “Arguments between me and my son Lewis had become explosive and sometimes got physical. When I called Parentline we were at breaking point.

“Talking to someone who was neutral helped me see that it was a difficult situation and the way I was dealing with things was just making things worse.”

Parentline is a helping hand for families provided by Children 1st, Scotland’s national children’s charity.

Families say Parentline is a lifeline. It offers kind and skilled support and advice for families, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Parentline’s team of volunteers are trained to a level recognised by Scotland’s professional body for counselling and psychotherapy. They have a real understanding of the stresses and challenges that all families face, and the impact this has on children.

Parentline is never about telling people what to do. It gives parents the time, space and confidence to think through tough decisions and to make things better for their child.

Ali explains: “Jenny at Parentline helped me really think about my actions and how they affected my son. It wasn’t easy but her advice and support were amazing.

“Once I changed my way of dealing with things, things slowly began to improve. Lewis confided to me that he wanted to go the doctors for help with his mental health. This was massive – I don’t believe he would have done that if things hadn’t changed.

“Lewis is a different person. Our relationship is the best it’s ever been. I don’t know where we would be if I hadn’t got in contact with Parentline.